Many disabled and paraplegic persons rely substantially on a wheelchair, and quite a few of them, despite major body paralysis, are relatively self-sufficient, requiring but limited human assistance in their everyday mobilities. There are several devices available to assist invalids in dealing with everyday activities. Cumble U.S. Pat. No. 5,040,813 is to an accessory holder and mount for a wheelchair, and Scheulderman U.S. Pat. No. 5,263,768 is to a wheelchair with an improved adjustable backrest.
One overlooked need is an apparatus, to be readily available at the chairside, which will permit the wheelchair occupant right himself to an upright sitting position using compromised arm strength; this precludes the need for another person to provide for torso uplifting or providing extra assistance moving out of the wheelchair. Such a device should also be readily displaceable, so as not to unduly cramp, or annoy, the chair user during his other varied seated activities which might include being at a table, which could interfere with the now-displaced second member.
It is, therefore, an object of the invention to provide an accessory device which can easily be adapted to mounting on each lateral framework of a modem wheelchair, can be made quickly operative, and can just as readily be displaced to reside in a non-interfering mode, during other chair-bound activities.
It is another object of the invention to provide a self-levitating means for an invalid which is in a better position than that which is offered by standard arm rests, or the wheel brake levers, which are serving as the interim means for an occupant's shifting and lifting himself.
It is yet another object of the invention is to provide a displaceable wheelchair accessory which facilitates invalid shifting while still seated, aiding in pressure sore prevention, which is a problem for all wheelchair users, especially those with spinal cord injuries that compromise normal nervous sensations in the buttocks area.
A further object of the invention is to provide a body shifting device for those invalids with sufficient limited upper body (torso) control by providing a push-up device that permits facile transient unweighting of the buttocks, the leaning forward for manual actions, and also for the easy return to the upright seated posture.
Still another object of the invention is to provide a device that safely replaces extended brake levers for wheelchairs, which levers are usually not intended to support the major weight of an invalid's head, torso and upper limbs, in the course of body levitation from the wheelchair itself.
These and other objects will become more readily evident from the reading of the accompanying specification and drawing, which are by way of exemplification of the invention. The disclosure is not limited to the embodiment shown, but is more effectively defined by the appended claims.